A Duck By Any Other Name
by Just-One-Breath-Left
Summary: This is the 30 Kisses challenge for the pairing Fakiru, but some of the mini-stories aren't actually kisses... just character/romance development, or fluff w/ physical interaction. Current Theme: THEME 2, NEWS/LETTER. Rated Teen for later chapters.
1. Theme 1: Look Over Here!

Theme # 1: Look Over Here

**Theme # 1:** Look Over Here!

**Soundtrack:** _I'm Yours_ – Jason Mraz

_Some Hearts_ – Carrie Underwood

_Hall Om Mig_ – Nanne Gronvall

_Ven Conmigo_ – Cristina Aguilera

_Ever the Same_ – Rob Thomas

**Pairing:** Fakiru Ahiru x Fakir

**Notes:** I think this is the cutest pairing, but that's just me. At first I was going to do some angsty stuff with Fakir about how Ahiru keeps making moon-eyes at Mytho, and how he wants her to notice him, but then I decided to settle with some pure character development fluff! If anyone wants an angsty Fakir version of this, feel free to e-mail me requesting it!

"Blah Blah Blah," is talking.

_Blah Blah Blah_, is thinking. The normal stuff.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

"Fakir! Fakir!" Shouted Ahiru, her salmon-pink hair flapping in it's usual long braid, an appendage that the teenage boy felt strongly like pulling every time he saw it. Not bothering to stop (he had other things to do), he shifted the books under his arm and waved a casual hand in the air.

"Nonono, wait, Fakir, I need to show you something!" Cried Ahiru behind him, but he just kept walking and said "I have other commitments. I'll talk to you later."

"But I want to show you _now_," whined Ahiru. He could feel her trotting up slightly behind him, and then he felt her arm touch his jacket sleeve. Brushing it off rather rudely, not even glancing at the girl, he repeated, "I've got other things to do. Bother me later." The steps next to him faltered, and he sighed in relief.

If he was to concentrate on the task ahead, then he didn't need her distraction. **Especially** not her.

--

"He said that?" asked a curious Lillie, a gleeful gleam in her eye. "Why, how absolutely marvelous! Poor little Ahiru, who only wanted to show Fakir the sketch you had made of him! To be rejected so surely! How **cute**!" Proceeding to snuggle in a gentler way than usual, her blonde curls bouncing, Ahiru found herself completely surrounded by her friend. When she finally emerged, Pike was gazing at her thoughtfully.

"Why'd you care?" She asked bluntly. "I mean, can't you just show us? Why do you **need** to show Fakir?" Ahiru suddenly blushed.

"Well… I mean… it's a picture **of** him…"

"Yeah, but why'd you draw him?"

"You know what?" Said a slightly blushing Ahiru, putting a finger to her head, "I'm not quite sure. He was just sleeping, and he wasn't scowling, he was **smiling** slightly, and I thought if I could get a rough sketch it would be nice, and then this lead to this, and that lead to that, and-" she interrupted herself and got the sketchbook out from under her arm.

"Here, take a look for yourself." Both girls crowded forward, and immediately inhaled sharply. It was true- the ice price himself was actually sleeping! And he was smiling, just a bit. He looked so peaceful, just sitting there, and Pike touched the shading of the tree he was leaning against while he was dozing off.

"Wow." Even Lillie couldn't add on. Ahiru fidgeted, wondering why the silence was so long. Taking a glimpse of it herself, Ahiru contemplated on just how she managed to get every single one of the lines that made up his being right, and how his hair cast such a familiar shadow on his face. The tree he sat up against was perfect as well, and suddenly Ahiru felt that if she looked up she would see him leaning there, perfectly natural.

"You're talented. Try drawing me!" Burst from Lillie, and she sat down and smiled cutely. Ahiru, taken aback, stuttered, "Ah, alright," and flipped to a new page. Borrowing a pencil from Pike, she started to sketch her friend, who waited paitently. Finally Ahiru announced she was done, and both girls leaned over eagerly.

The drawing that greeted them was one of a 5-year-old. Both were disappointed, even enough that Pike said cautiously, "Ahiru, are you sure you drew the other one? You can tell us if you didn't."

"I did! I did!" Said Ahiru, jumping up indignantly. "I can show you!" And grabbing the pencil again, with a vigorous energy known to her, she once again started drawing.

"This is his face this morning when I asked him if I could borrow his record of Penguin's playing he practices with early." She explained, still furiously sketching. In the end, another perfect picture of Fakir was produced, with such a disgusted expression that both girls started laughing.

"That's how it is, then!" Said Pike triumphantly, knowing evidence of what she had been guessing for the past few weeks was right before her. Lillie smiled, and not in a sadistical way, either.

"Show him, show him!" She squealed suddenly, grabbing Ahiru's arm and dragging her from the apple tree all three had been sitting at. "I don't care what he's doing, interrupt him!"

Ahiru, as she was being dragged along, wondered at both her friends' knowing expressions. So deep in thought was she that when Lillie said "Hello, Fakir!" so suddenly that it jolted her out of her reverie.

She looked around, and found herself at the library. Fakir was working on a desk, and didn't even glance up when Lillie spoke. Suddenly feeling nervous, clutching at her sketchbook, she stepped closer to him and leaned over his solder to see what he was doing. He jumped when he heard her breath by his ear, and turned around so suddenly that Ahiru backed away a couple steps.

"What do you want?" The dark-haired boy asked wearily, realizing he would never get his peace unless he let his friend show him what she wanted to. Without saying a word she placed the sketchbook in front of him, the sketch side-up. Fakir glanced at it, and had a double-take, astonished by its resemblance (not that he stood in front of the mirror regularly). Picking it up, he looked at it carefully. Then he glanced up at Ahiru, eyes warm.

"Wow. That's really good." Ahiru blushed at this praise, but then Fakir's soft expression changed into one of disbelief as he regarded the one with Lillie as the subject. He snorted, and Ahiru reddened more.

"I… had a bad day!" She exclaimed, and whisked it away from him. "I won't draw any more if you'll laugh!"

"Fine then. Show me later. I'm busy." Once again study-mode was on, but Ahiru was happier. She skipped out of the library, not noticing his small smile as the boy got back to work. Lillie and Pike, hiding behind a bookshelf, turned towards each other and gave the thumbs up. As they walked away, Pike noticed,

"Is it just me, or do Fakir's excuses always have to do with later, instead of never?"


	2. Theme 2: News

Theme # 2: News, Letter

**Theme # 2:** News, Letter

**Soundtrack:** _When It Rains_ – Paramore

_Dreams_ – The Cranberries

_New Soul_ – Yael Naim

Errr… all the Utada Hikaru songs in existence? xD (But especially _Sakura Drops_, _Passion_, and _Hikari _/_ Simple and Clean_.)

**Pairing:** Fakiru Ahiru x Fakir (And if you read between the lines, a slight Autor - Fakir as well.)

**Notes:** Here's some angst for all you angst lovers out there. Hum de dum… Basically, Fakir gets news that his duck is missing, so what's his reaction when a familiar girl is standing in the rain outside his house? Oh, fluff at the end (which is rushed, I know, I know.)

"Blah Blah Blah," is talking.

_Blah Blah Blah_, is thinking. The normal stuff.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

He hadn't written anything. He swore he wouldn't, when they danced that pas de deux, he swore he wouldn't write at all. No matter how much he would miss her human, no matter how much he would regret it, he wouldn't write – nor speak – a word.

Then why was he running through the pouring rain, feeling it's comforting pattern settling on his soldiers, reaching into the contours of his blue school uniform and running down the folds? For once he wasn't glad of the bangs that his face from the world, for they flopped mercilessly up and down on his face and made it difficult to see.

He had to get there. He had to. He didn't know what would happen if he didn't, but some strong urge was pressing him onward. Karon had been passing him while he was going to town, remarking that the rain was to come soon. Since Fakir had no classes left, and was merely walking on campus, he followed his adopted father and they chatted about this and that. It was only when Karon mentioned on passing that he hadn't seen the duck his son had curiously named, Duck, since it had waddled out of the house in a panic earlier that morning that the boy had stiffened, and run off suddenly to the direction of their house, ignoring Karon's cries behind him. It was then it had started to rain.

The run was a long one, and by the time that Fakir was there he was soaking wet. The journey had been tortuous, because he didn't know what he was sprinting to, or why he wouldn't take the rain as an excuse to run inside to shelter. However, when he finally made it outside the house he was proud to call his own, it was considerably worse. In front of the house, standing with her light hair down and a simple blanket hanging from her shoulders to the ground, was **her**. It was his mirage.

He had mirages like this daily, maybe even more. Standing next to one of old ridiculous friends, he would see her, blink, and she'd be gone. Clumsily running down the stairs, a light presence by his shoulder so easy to shrug off, pink braid flapping the air, he saw her everywhere.

It made him sick. He had told her, reassured her, promised her, they would go back to their original forms, and that was all that would matter in the end. But he was **wrong**. It wasn't, it really wasn't all right. He knew Ahiru was Ahiru, whether a duck or a girl, but he missed the latter. And to fantasize about her coming back now, at the worst of times, made him feel like the most vulgar monster in the world.

Standing, panting heavily, he blinked, once, twice. Confused, he did so thrice, and it was then she noticed him.

She was frozen as he was, soft lips slightly parted, surprised etched across her face. A step was taken forward to him, a step taken back. And suddenly Fakir's legs could move again.

He lurched forward, skittering on the rain, and ran the last few yards up to her. Something intelligent to say, that's what he needed. Some speculation. Some witty comment bound to astound her and make sure she was there.

"Ahiru…" the breathless gasp was all that came out of his mouth. At once she closed her eyes, and opened them tightly. She seemed to be mumbling. Then her eyes widened, and she glared at Fakir so strongly he took a step back.

"Why? Why'd you turn me back?" The former duck almost shouted, her voice somewhat muted over the downpour of the rain. Fakir just narrowed his eyes and said, "I didn't."

"What do you mean, you didn't? How else could this have happened? Do you know how close I was to sprouting human legs right there in the kitchen while Karon was cleaning? Do you have any idea how confused I've been? I mean, you said, we'll stick to our original forms, but now I'm human, and I… I…" her voice faded and a sob escaped her lips.

"I'm so happy it makes me sick." Her knees, not used to holding her up, buckled underneath her, and Fakir caught her before she slumped to the ground. Her body was frailer, and he had to be exceptionally careful while holding her, else he was afraid he's break her.

"I swear Ahiru, I didn't write a single word," the former knight whispered from behind her, holding her still. "If I could, I would write you right back the way you were, if you wanted." With this Ahiru visibly slumped, and Fakir felt the air bending, bending…

"But… I'm happy your human again. So happy it makes **me** sick." Ahiru lifted up her head and suddenly turned around, slamming into the middle of Fakir's body and hugging it tight, sobbing. Whether tears of joy, pain, or the bittersweet taste of triumph, Fakir didn't think the girl herself was sure. So when she lifted her head up and found two warm eyes staring at her right back, it was instinct to come closer.

"So at least be happy with me, Ahiru. The sickness can go away with remedy." He held her close, and she reached up to tell him just how wonderful those words made her feel. Instead Fakir's mouth met hers, which was just as good, if not better. The two stayed there, washing away three years of frustration and love between human and duck. That was over. This was their now.

Behind a nearby house, Autor smiled a slight smile. In his hand was a tightly held piece of paper, slightly damp and very smudgy. It was the least he could do to give those two a happy ending, if not one for himself. Drosselmeyer could write about anybody, Fakir about Ahiru, and him…

Well. Dark green **was** his favorite color.


	3. AU: sweatdrop

I know! Two chapters and already an Authors note! I'm sorry to those who have been expecting another chapter. ^^;

Thing is, if I could, I would write forever, but schoolwork and just my daily life needs to be lived, and things have been real busy. I know, everyone's heard **that** excuse before, right?

There's also the lost muse excuse that is also in use here. I desperately need PT fanfictions, fanart, AMV's, **anything** to get my PT muse back. If someone could request a piece, that would be wonderful as well.

I've included a bit more info on my profile, so please take a look at that. Thanks!

_Breathless_


End file.
